The 4 Ingredients for Good Brand Storytelling
Long before J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin and Stephen King, the storytellers were cavemen. Not New York Time bestsellers.
Storytelling is an ancient art. It’s been around since the dawn of mankind.
We can even trace storytelling back to the 30,000 years old cave paintings researchers discovered in the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave in Ardèche, France.
The wheels of time have turned, ages have come and pass, and to this day, we still haven’t lost that old habit of telling stories. But the stories we tell today are better – more evolved, more refined.
The Irresistible Power of Storytelling
Today, stories can form lasting bonds between strangers on the Internet.
Stories are engines that drive curiosity, and the art of storytelling matters today more than ever. It matters regardless of what kind of creative you are.
Stories can also reinvent business brands and convert customers into advocates. When used wisely, storytelling can become a crucial part of your marketing strategy.
A well-told story can help you inspire, motivate and even resonate with the emotions of your customers. Forming a familiar narrative around your brand can help you market your business.
However, brand storytelling is easier said than done. And it takes a lot of work to create a compelling, effective narrative.
We’ve sketched up a brief list of the ingredients you need for impactful brand storytelling.
Ingredient #1 – Know your target audience
To tell a compelling story, you need first to know your audience. Who would want to hear your story? Who would be driven to take action by reading your brand story? These are the questions you will need to think about.
Before you put pen to paper, do some research on your target market. Doing this will help you map out who your readers, viewers are. You can then tailor your story to target this audience.
Ingredient #2 – Define your brand message/Find your why?
Every good brand should have a core message.
You need to establish this message before you set out for a brand storytelling campaign.
If you do not know what your brand message is, think about the purpose of your business. Apart from profit, what are the other reasons why you run your business?
You may be running your business to raise awareness, to fill a gap in the market, to revolutionise old solutions – whatever your fuel is, let it drive the message of your brand storytelling campaign.
Ingredient #3 – Include a call-to-action (CTA)
One essential part of brand storytelling is the call-to-action (CTA). A compelling story helps you to ignite the curiosity of your audience. A call-to-action is what invites your audience to take action.
Ask yourself: what do you want your readers to do after they hear your story.
Perhaps, you may want them to book a quote, donate money, buy a product or undertake a course. It would help if you made this clear in your call-to-action.
For example, a call-to-action on the Formation website might be ‘Get in touch, to revamp your marketing strategy.’
The action we want our readers to take is to work cooperatively with us to improve their marketing strategy.
What action do you want your readers to take?
Ingredient #4 – Share your story
You’re nearly there – the last step is to promote your story.
There are a variety of ways you can do this. For example, you could share it on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and so on.
Alternatively, you could promote it on an online publishing platform like Medium or by guest posting on relevant publications.
The more you share your brand story, the higher the chances of audience engagement.
How we can help
At Formation Media, our in-house website design can help you to perfect your brand storytelling campaign. Get in touch today to discuss brand storytelling with our team.
